Melbourne Victoria, Australia

Polygreen is a printed fiberglass box in a neighborhood of red brick warehouses. The contrast is striking - a home covered in vibrant green.

Andrew Maynard Architects asked a simple question -- 'Where does the sun come from' -- and designed a Hill House in the backyard of this Melbourne home.

Westgarth House is a delightfully simple project that addresses our changing family needs by adding a modern, spacious living area to an existing home.

Even during the heat of summer this passive solar design remained cool and kept the family comfortable. Reclaimed materials integrates with the original.

Rather than gutting and starting again, a simple reconfiguration was all it took to make this home brighter and more comfortable.

Ilma Grove is an extension to a heritage home in Northcote, Victoria. The extension provides more space and guarantees a sustainable lifestyle.

Stonewood House is a modern, but sensitive home which sits comfortably with homes of heritage significance.

Thanks to the home's unusual form, the garden of Reverse Shadow Casting House will always be sunny and bright.

Small but with delight, M House looks at how a modest renovation can make a positive contribution to the way a family live.

Like a real doll's house, this addition is two spaces stacked on top of each other and uses furniture and joinery to divide spaces instead of doors and walls.

Northcote House 2 is a three storey urban residence which utilises the existing shell of its former incarnation as a medical centre.

A two-storey rear addition to a classic Edwardian-era home is sympathetic to its origins, but unashamedly modern at the same time.

Rising costs and melting ice caps. Why not use your renovation as an opportunity to improve your home's environmental credentials as well.

An elegant and restrained timber addition provides the perfect modern living space for a family of five (plus two energetic dogs).

At just 36 square metres, this compact yet thoughtful addition creates space for cooking, eating, writing, sitting and more...

Designing a family home is challenging because the family's needs change as they grow, that's why you have to plan for change.

In contrast to the neighbouring weatherboard houses, this crisp, modern modular home makes a huge statement in this Melbourne street.

Built from rammed earth, timber and hempcrete, this home is a healthy and environmentally sensitive space for three generations.

It's Playtime in this fun-filled extension with secret hatches, a bridge, sloped walls and an aquarium of curious creatures.

Simple, yet intelligent changes, which reference to the home's post-war cream brick heritage create a period drama of a difference.

Craving more space (and sun) and considering a move? Are you really better off uprooting your family and moving somewhere new?

In a street of Californian Bungalows, it was important to maintain the status quo. It's a whole other story at the rear of this home...

A south-facing backyard can feel like a curse, but an unconventional roofline could come to the rescue to let direct natural light in.

Lean-tos aren't renowned for their good design, but rethinking the classic design led to a functional and flexible home for this family.

The small, pokey and often dark spaces of many older homes don’t provide the space young families need, but you can change that...

A beautiful new living space wrapping around a courtyard deck plus main bedroom suite creates the perfect home for a family of six.

See how an architect turned this small, dark cottage into a spacious, light-filled home for her and her family...

A surprising solution was the key to unlocking natural light and a sense of space on this dark, narrow site…

Have you ever considered a house reduction as opposed to an extension? That's what MAKE Architecture did for their clients in their project, House Reduction.

Like a sunflower, Turnaround House grows from the existing home, turning to face the sun. Once dark and cramped, now light and airy -- what a turnaround!

Yarra Street House is a pavilion-style extension designed to fit perfectly with a family who loves cooking, outdoor living and entertaining in style.

Don't be deceived by the curved exterior. Abbotsford Residence is rational -- inside and out -- to deal with a heavily constrained site.

Folded perfectly, the 10-fold roofline of this home grabs the light and views of treetops and provides privacy from neighbours.

Edwards Moore Architects's Cubby House is a pint-sized apartment packed full of fun. A cubby house made not for kids, but for sophisticated adults.

The age-old advice is to buy the worst house on the best street. Doll's House was the smallest house in the trendiest neighborhood, does that count?

Moor House's family needed was a well designed renovation to provide space and privacy for their growing children. Oh, and all within just 4.5 meters width!

To maximise space, a lush curtain allows this tiny apartment to multitask, hiding a fold up bed and a world of storage…

Just like the Doctor's TARDIS this home has a surprisingly big interior. Inside is a completely self contained studio apartment!

Nestled within the undulated roofline of Fitzroy’s famed MacRobertson building sits a warehouse conversion and roof terrace with a difference…

In the inner city it's not always wise to rely on an aspect. In the case of Diagonal House it made sense to embrace a sunny northern aspect.

Vader House emerges from behind its high boundary wall to disrupt Fitzroy's typical roofline and breathe new life into this Victorian Terrace.

Located in a tight lane way in Fitzroy, Little Gore Street Studio is a truly unique response to urban densification...

The renovation of this Fitzroy house marries two influences — a refined industrial aesthetic and traditional Victorian architecture.

By building an extension at the end of a narrow site, Austin Maynard Architects created a courtyard instead of a typical light-well.

An eco-friendly, 7 star energy rated addition to an inner-city terrace feels bright, breezy and, importantly, comfortable year-round.

Apartment living for new parents is not very common in Australia. Can it be done, or is the siren call of the suburbs too strong?

This architect used the renovation of his home to improve his mental health and immunise himself and his family for the future.

It's difficult to imagine how this tight block in a laneway could become a functional and spacious home and office, but they did it!

Heritage front, contemporary heart—this home balances heritage charm with modern family needs.

The Cloud House is a recent home extension by architects, McBride Charles Ryan. From the front it's a typical home. From the back, it's a whole other story.

Tattoo House takes the conflicting wishes of the client, neighbors and council and creates a surprisingly leafy compromise everyone is delighted with.

Tight site, stringent planning and heritage controls, and a difficult orientation -- Nic Owen Architects pull off the architectural equivalent of a miracle.

An unashamedly modern extension manages to integrate old and new by putting a modern spin on materials and colors from the original home.

Can you spot a Japanese influence in Engawa House? 'Engawa' is an exterior hallway on Japanese homes -- the inspiration for this new extension.

Cubo House is a sustainable home which celebrates its history via restored existing elements and upcycled features using the surrealist technique 'Cubomania'.

A combination of good design and plenty of storage makes inner city downsize house feel just as spacious as the owners' previous home.

Architect Peter Miglis lists “light, space, and air” as the elements that form great architecture; he has incorporated all three into his own home.

From possum-infested DIY-renovated nightmare to sunny and spacious home, Holden Street House has been transformed.

Heritage controls, difficult soil, tight access and a small west-facing block. A delightful, light-filled home on a difficult site…

Sitting in an historic neighbourhood, House in House. Inside and out, it's a surprising alternative to its dark row house neighbours.

By replacing space lost to the renovation with a roof deck, Stick House ensures not a millimetre of outdoor space is sacrificed.

A brief that might have disheartened some architects inspires a humble renovation that dramatically improves 'dog's breakfast' house.

When a family of four decide to renovate their terrace on a tiny site, some big ideas need to be packed into a little space.

This converted warehouse in Fitzroy involved refitting of a beautiful old warehouse to become a flexible home for an extended family.

An extensive renovation of a Melbourne home gives the owners all the benefits of inner-city terrace living without the drawbacks.

A lot of mistakes were made in the '80s, Nic Owen Architects attempts to rectify one of them with a modern pod-like extension.

If fur-babies, travel, colour and fun are ticking some mental boxes for you, you'll love Casa de Gatos (or 'House of Cats' in Spanish).

We've heard of tiny houses and micro-apartments, but could a micro addition be the answer to your space issues? Let's see...

A strong visual and physical connection to the garden is achieved without significantly altering this inner-city terrace.

If the stress of renovating isn't enough for you, here's a way to step it up a gear: base your deadline around the arrival of a baby!

A home for a couple and a separate home for their adult children. Plus it's on a very public, very tricky triangular site!

Ultimately council agreed to let them make some changes behind this heritage facade, convinced no one on the street would be the wiser.

The neighbours are shifting uncomfortably in their seats as this new kid on the block shows them what modern living should look like...

Unusually-shaped boundaries can be a challenge, particularly on sites as tight as this; you've got to turn a challenge into an asset!

Architecture isn't about the bells and whistles. It's about creating spaces which help to improve your lifestyle. Like this home!

Renovating is a messy art full of compromise but, if you roll with it, the result can be the perfect-imperfect home for your family.

By removing poorly constructed add-ons and creating an open-plan living area as the new heart, this quaint cottage is transformed...

Perfectly blending old and new, capturing the owners sense of style, and correcting mistakes of the past, this renovation nails it all.

Sean Godsell's Edward Street House in inner-urban Melbourne has a lot of surprises in store. It's full of hidden secrets just waiting to be discovered...

Do you prefer the charm of traditional homes? But you also like to have a modern kitchen, spacious rooms, and open plan living areas. Perforated House proves you can have both — even if you build a new house from scra...

If a real estate agent tells you a house has 'good bones', it's rarely a good thing. The Eagle's bones (timber studs) are proudly on display. And they're not good; they're stunning.

Brunswick House is restrained and space-efficient, but surprising spaces like a rooftop terrace provide a new perspective on its eclectic neighborhood.

Jones House is a home designed for Australian conditions proving architectural ideas can be achieved without big budgets and costly construction methods.

Set around three internal courtyards, Bridge House 2 manages to escape the bustle of Brunswick without sacrificing its sense of place.

A strikingly contemporary 'black-box' modular addition has popped up in this neighbourhood, adding to the eclectic mix of housing.

Living in a barn is one thing, but living in a barn in the city? Well that sounds absurd, but it's a reality for this lucky family.

Brunswick Californian had already been extended, but connected poorly to the original. New internal works create a cohesive home.

A passive design and solar panels creates a comfortable house year-round which also generates income for this family.

An architect squeezes a new study and bedroom in the only available space on this tight Melbourne block - above the living area.

Set well away from the original house, this new addition creates a central courtyard which all living areas wrap around.

This compact home was made even smaller yet better, proving the amount of space you have is less important than how you use it...

Experimenting with ideas of affordability without sacrificing liveability, North Street House is the perfect home for a young couple.

Renovating an older, inner-city home comes with a peculiar set of challenges - how to make it seem bright and spacious when it's not.

Can a house be both a cosy refuge and open to the outdoors to create a breezy outdoor room? In this case, it can!

Living in the inner-city means trading space for convenience. This project shows you, that trade-off isn't so bad.

Want a sustainable home, but don't know where to start? An architect can help you create a comfortable, sustainable home...

By rethinking the layout of this home, a more efficient plan that's perfect for modern living was found within the existing footprint.

Others overlooked this heritage-listed home because of its exposure on three sides, but a playful addition turns it into an asset.

Chimneys of the old brickworks immediately caught the architect's attention and she knew this renovation needed to capture that view!

Despite a seemingly impossible set of constraints, this terrace has been transformed into a light-filled and sustainable family home.

The history of this home as well as the personalities of its owners shine through in this clever renovation of a Victorian cottage.

This home has a surprise at the end of the typically ornate Edwardian-era hallway, and it's far from your average terrace renovation!

With clever planning and bringing light and framed views in at every opportunity, this long, narrow site feels surprisingly spacious.

Explore how this Dependent Persons Unit (DPU; AKA Granny Flat) transforms a small space into the ideal retreat that's also demountable.

Profile House is an extension that pays homage to the varied buildings in Brunswick East. BLOXAS Architects created an unexpected space inside, and out.

Sandwiched between weatherboard cottages in Brunswick East, C House breaks with convention to create a warm, unique and nuanced home.

Brunswick has a rich history of bluestone quarries and brickworks. Quarry House updates a Victorian terrace with this history in mind.

'Ethel' has a number of delightful surprises up her sleeve, proving there's more to this humble Victorian home than she lets on...

A more efficient floor plan could unlock the space for an ensuite, open-plan kitchen and plenty of storage without extending...

Paling Fence House by NASA (National Architecture Space Agency) manages to fit a modern and spacious family home into an Australian suburban backyard.

Lightbox House by Edwards Moore Architects transforms a cramped and dark terrace into a light, bright wonder. Perforated floor, translucent ceiling and all.

Level changes in this home inspired its name, Jack and Jill House. It has fairytale-esque fun by the bucketful -- and not a broken crown to be seen...

FMD Architects have taken a tread from their client's brief and stitched the old and new together in this clever home extension, Cross Stitch House.

Pump House is a compact, off-grid home for simple living. Owners and guests can enjoy a quiet night, a cup of tea and quality time with their horse, George.

Victoria Road House is a long way from India, but saturated color, radiating patterns and gold metalwork bring an Indian flavor to this surprising addition.

A moderate extension creates a rich space and leaves a decent-sized backyard. Jack's House is a timber 'gusset' that will serve the family into the future.

An extremely small house extension transforms a heritage cottage. You'll be surprised the difference clever planning and small addition makes to occupants.

Unlike most renovations, Park Lane House isn't tucked away in a backyard -- it's out there for all to see.

This space efficient home maximizes living spaces by cleverly concealing bedrooms behind Japanese inspired screens.

A bayside extension clad inside and out in timber battens blurs the functional and decorative.

A landmark post-war apartment gets an entirely new fit-out on a very lean budget and a minimalist aesthetic.

By wrapping an extension against the boundary, Boundary House deals with awkward residual spaces and improves access to light.

At Beachcroft Orth Residence, screens and glazed garage doors allow internal spaces to spill into the outdoors.

Modest extension creates an infinitely more liveable home compared to a previously gloomy and confused hodgepodge of poor additions.

The weatherboards on this extension compress, extend upwards and weave over the facade in a modern interpretation of the traditional weatherboard cottage.

At Datum House the ceiling height, rather than extra square meters, creates a generous and varied sense of space (without the cost).

From the front it's an unassuming Californian Bungalow. From the rear, undeniably modern. It's a new type of house — a blurred house.

ArchiBlox' Carbon Positive Prefab House means it's no longer enough to just be carbon neutral, when you can be carbon positive.

Bridport Residence extension grabs northern light and creates a quiet safe haven to the rear of the property.

MAMIL haters, beware. Bike House is designed for a family of four bikes-lovers who have foregone the family car for a two-wheeled alternative.

A large suburban home for an extended family in the suburbs doesn't need to look and feel like a cookie cutter McMansion…

This Melbourne Refurbishment rearranges spaces in line with modern living, but doesn't forget to have fun along the way…

At House 3 there's enough space for three generations of the one family to live comfortably together despite a tight site.

The Armadale House addition creates an open plan living area with a great connection to the garden, maximising the small site.

Concrete House features a tapered concrete second story which focuses the view of a garden and the city beyond.

The Barrow extension appears as an arrangement of timber boxes, each independently rotated and subjected to varying amounts of extruding and manipulating forces.

Turning this tight inner-city terrace into a light-filled, open-plan home for a family of five was a challenge. But was it a success?

From distant water views to the nearby sculptural native trees, Bass Street Residence angles itself to take it all in…

Black Rock House successfully meshes elements of old and new to create a cohesive and comfortable family home.

Skin-Box House is a compact but refined home that maximises the sense of space with full height glass and quality materials...

New architectural elements recede thanks to a subdued palette highlighting the original elements of this industrial building.

Mills House eliminates bulky cupboards by converting the floor into storage space, leaving the entire width of the terrace for living.

A new home in a neighbourhood of large houses scales back the status quo to provide ‘just the right amount of space’ for a family.

Kelvin House is refurbished to create a new open plan living area while a new deck creates better access to the north light.

By pulling this extension away from the exiting house, the architects created sunny courtyards and maximised the natural light.

Theresa Street Residence is a loft apartment that is redesigned as a modest seamless interior effortlessly disguising the old as new.

Rather than demolish and rebuild the rear 1970s addition to this home, the architect incorporated the walls into new, thicker walls.

'I want it to be kite-shaped' said no potential homeowner ever. And yet with this unusual site, a kite-shaped plan works well.

Using the colours of an 18th Century fire starting kit as inspiration, Breathe Architecture create a dramatic inner-city space.

A Melbourne home designed by Alexandra Buchanan Architecture creates a cascade of contemporary family living spaces in a bushfire area.

Jost Architects mediate heritage controls and an eager client brief to deliver a delightful update to an inter-war home.

The unusual roof of the small but effective addition is the real winner - providing plenty of light to the small, overshadowed site.

The use of humble timber dowel rods in various forms throughout this refurbishment serve a practical, decorative and unifying purpose.

A series of courtyards weave this modern extension into the original home. A sensitive departure from the typical add-on.

Renovating a heritage house is a challenge at the best of times. But when the only option is going up, the challenge is all the greater.

Older homes typically face two problems: lack of natural light and poor planning. A glazed atrium dining room solves both issues here.

This duplex development isn't what we have come to expect. It actively avoids placing garages on the street as an homage to the car.

Old and new are connected by a black tunnel with no end immediately in sight. But there is a light-filled end to this tunnel.

This considered addition capitalises on good qualities of the home and fixes the less than ideal. What can be saved in your addition?

This family home is nestled amongst the gums, cantilevering over the sloped site so it feels more like a treehouse than a regular home.

At this highly visible corner block, the architects have designed a black extension to contrast with the white Edwardian original.

Clad in zinc, this simple rear addition creates a light-filled, low-fuss extension for a young family to grow.

A renovation creates flexible but calm spaces for a blended family, visiting overseas relatives, and a professional home office.

With a living area facing a busy road, a separate and congested kitchen and an under-utilised backyard, this home needed flipping...

Arranged around three courtyards, this new open-plan extension is a delightful counterpoint to the existing Californian Bungalow.

A new extension negotiates the slope of the land, looking out to the view and connecting the living area to the garden.

Unlike many of the ubiquitous lean-to-style additions in the area, this modern lean-to transforms the original home.

Reimagining a heritage home to fulfil the modern needs of three generations of the one family, highlighting its layered history.

This renovated interwar house is now perfect home for a retired couple and adult family member plus a meeting place for nearby family.

Updates to this elegant, but out-of-touch 1940s home hark back to the era it was built - when houses were small but functional.

A garage and studio with seperate access from the laneway is a flexible and sensitive space at the rear of this inner-city terrace.

Black sheep. Odd one out. Dark horse. Whatever you want to call it, there's something different about this home - and we love it!

This professional couple felt constrained by an outdated floor plan that sacrificed living areas for circulation and formal dining...

If your neighbours are too close for comfort, focus on natural light. Your home will feel spacious and you'll forget they're there...

Careful to leave much of this heritage building intact, the architects have created new spaces above and behind the existing home.

After buying a "rough" knocker-downer in the 'burbs, builder/designer/snow boarder, Robbie Walker decided to renovate instead.

A bold new living, dining and kitchen space grabs views of the trees and manages to fit a veggie garden in the most surprising place...

This compact addition proves small spaces can be highly liveable with plenty of storage, daylighting and a connection to the outdoors.

What do you do with a triangular site? Perhaps the best solution is to think outside of the box. Or triangle, as the case may be...

Perched House is a renovation that defies perceptions - feeling much larger than it actually is thanks to some clever tricks.

Like many un-renovated inner-city homes, the bathroom of this Melbourne workers cottage had the best light and views in the house!

Armed with a fun and adventurous brief, the architects of this apartment reno created a family home with surprises around every corner.

By removing the internal walls of this unit and incorporating plenty of built-in joinery, it feels more spacious and modern.

How does an architect update and extend a home that's been in the family for years? Without whitewashing the history and memories?

Where a traditional terrace is dark and cellular this renovation finds light and open space, creating an addition of contrasts.

By working with the original roofline of this Federation home, the designer created a light-filled and spacious addition.

Creating a family home requires more than a coat of paint and some pretty cushions. It requires good design and long-term thinking.

By designing a separate, self-contained studio, this family have gained the extra space they need now and flexibility into the future.

Even if you're stuck with a south-facing backyard overshadowed by your own house, there's no need to dwell in darkness.

If there's an old tree in your backyard, don't cut it down to make way for your new reno. Instead, make it the centrepiece.

With a slim budget, demolition of the rear of this home was not an option. But an even slimmer bathroom was part of the solution...

We love to get out and enjoy the backyard, but too often our homes are disconnected from our outdoor spaces. Here's what you can do...

Cubby Office to the rescue! A fun, connected, yet separate space for the kids to play while the parents get back to work.

The history and beauty of this old home are respected and celebrated by a bustle dress-inspired addition.

Life can change a lot in 10 years, so what do you do if your home no longer fits in with your life? Move or renovate?

This house had become a squat and burnt down during the design stage, but Dean and Lisa transformed it into a modern, sustainable home.

Hiring an architect to design your new home or renovation is a big commitment. So how do you know you're making the right choice?

This home had good bones, but forty years of use left it feeling tired. A clever facelift offers a fresh start for its new owners.

This home takes advantage of its location near the Botanic Gardens to create a living area which feels like an extension of the garden.

On a tight, south-facing site, the various spaces of this addition are expertly arranged to ensure maximum benefit with minimal fuss.

Extending heritage homes respectfully is a challenge. Allowing this addition to recede into the shadows was the sensitive approach.

Increasingly, multi-generational families are choosing to live together. In this case, how do we design homes which cater for everyone?

With a folded roof form and charred timber cladding, Pleated House has plenty of flair for its design-conscious owners.

Inspired by a nearby converted factory, this home brings its own spin to the saw-tooth roofline and the inspiration doesn't stop there.

These townhouses challenge the norm and prove you can develop suburban sites without ignoring the character of the neighbourhood.

Having lived in the area for 45 years, this downsizer was reluctant to leave. Instead, she built the perfect home in her backyard!

A samurai's armour inspires the form and materials of this unique townhouse development, bringing a bit of Japan to the suburbs.

When a couple who both have homes designed by the same architect get married, their new home together is bound to be adventurous!

Sadly lighting is an afterthought in many homes, but not here: a special lighting system demonstrates the potential of lighting design.

By reimagining the way this existing addition functioned they were able to transform this home, adding only 15 square metres in total.

A modern addition reorients this home towards the sun as well as complementing and tucking under the roofline of the original home.

An addition to this mid-century gem keeps the essence of the original while ensuring it's fit for family life in this century.

A renovation to a Victorian-era home and detached studio shines thanks to the three Rs plus local manufacturing and craftsmanship.

Internal courtyards are the answer to finding natural daylight and preventing overlooking issues in this inner-city renovation.

This new pergola uses the original home's roofline as inspiration to provide additional shade without blocking light and views.

Pooling for a pool: would you join forces with your parents to create the ultimate inner-city pad complete with a rooftop pool?

In many ways, Feng Shui aligns with the principles of good design. Here, Feng Shui achieves a light, harmonious and delightful home.

The roof and layout of the original home serve as the inspiration for a new addition, but a modern twist creates perfect family home.

Clever planning allows this small apartment to feel grand and glamourous. Wait until you see how the dressing room transforms...

Staging the renovation of this home into two phases made budgetary sense and allows the home to adapt to the family's changing needs.

Imagine having a classic modernist house in the family for three generations? How would you sensitively renovate it?

Every good architectural story needs a hero. In this renovation, it's a striking bookshelf which screens a work-from-home space...

A simple, rectangular, double-storey addition was a cost-effective way to gain the space this family needed. Plus some indulgences...

Far from the classic box-like addition, a series of unique spaces unfurl from the rear of the cottage, opening up to light and garden.

A complex, compact site on a slope and facing a busy road calls for a creative solution: switching the front and back!

This house crossed with a warehouse is the perfect live/work space for a family who are always making or doing something...

Redbrick and terracotta-tiled Californian Bungalows are beautiful homes, but they can be dark. Here's a bright solution...

Previously an overgrown garden and outbuildings, this space is now the perfect self-contained guest retreat facing a rear laneway.

Transforming a run-down, dark and poorly insulated Californian Bungalow into a comfortable, efficient and sustainable home...

Discover how a 58m² two-story home optimises space for three generations, ensuring privacy and comfort in a compact family home design.

This old home needed rebuilding from the stumps up, but the result is an energy-efficient, all-electric family home.

A heritage home with a modern twist, perfect for daily family life and hosting family and friends for longer-terms...

Placing the living areas on the first floor instead of the ground gives this home the sense of being in a treehouse...

A central courtyard helps this home harness northern light, retain the garden, and keeps the floor plan flexible for future change.

Where possible, renovating is a great choice, but sometimes it becomes clear that building a new home is the best option…

A home that blends into its suburban surroundings while quietly championing passive solar design and low-carbon construction...

Hidden challenges turned design opportunities—this Melbourne home proves heritage and innovation can live in perfect harmony.

Texture takes centre stage, with dark finishes and tactile materials blending the home into its surroundings.

Law Street House is constructed from a surprising material - plate steel. Inside, a double height light shaft encourages sunlight to dance across the walls.

Thanks to a clever refurbishment this South Melbourne House becomes a communal multi-zoned space in keeping with the family's desire to live and work together.

A stainless steel net for growing deciduous vines wraps this narrow home, transforming it into a nest for vertical family living.

The lace-like screen protecting the rear of this home is a way to tie old and new together while also dealing with practicalities.

Bringing a sense of space and plenty of natural light to a narrow block is tough, but clever design and engineering make it possible.

Previously a general store, this South Melbourne terrace is now a light-filled family home while retaining its character and quirks.

Fairfield Hacienda offers an alternative to the often wasted front yard. MRTN Architects have created a sunny, private courtyard at the front of the house.

The kitchen is the heart of Chef and Restaurateur, Scott Pickett's home, making it the perfect place to entertain friends and family.

Bringing together all the things they loved from previous houses, their new home represents the good life for this family of five.

Immerse yourself in nature daily with Garden Wall House Melbourne, where the backyard truly becomes an additional room of the home.

Tang House is a compact but thoughtful terrace extension that utilizes every nook and cranny to create a versatile home that defies its size.

Dealing with poor orientation this North-facing cloistered space acts as circulation and additional indoor/outdoor living space.

Small changes can make a huge difference to the comfort and practicality of a home. New windows and a pivot door transform this studio.

Your home doesn't need to be physically big to feel spacious. There are a few tricks to make your home feel larger than life.

It's a tale as old as time: dark, dank terrace seeks space and light. And yet architects are still finding new ways to tell the story.

And he said, 'Let there be light', and there was light. Thanks to a new double height space, this cottage is transformed.

Rearranging this apartment opens it up to the views, builds in lots of storage space and finds room for a home office space to boot!

This Carlton terrace renovation updates ageing interiors to create the perfect home for a collector of colourful art and furniture.

Thornbury House might appear haphazardly crooked, but the angled facade doubles as a sunshade. This solar passive home is functional and visually appealing.

This Artist's Studio is a beautifully detailed, creative space for painting and sculpting to encourage and inspire creativity…

An extension to a double fronted Californian bungalow reuses salvaged materials from the demolition works in an extensive renovation.

In a street of single-storey timber houses, this playful new home reinterprets its neighbours so it feels at home in the street.

Typically, a lean-to with a laundry and kitchen tacked on to the rear of an older home is the first thing to go in a reno. Not here...

Creative ways to bring more light into the home, even when the backyard doesn't get much sun, makes this home light-filled and airy.

This luxurious loft apartment is full of organic curves that could be carved from butter - appropriate because it occupies space in a former butter factory.

At first glance it's a typical Victorian-era worker's cottage. Only on closer inspection you realize there's something unusual going on behind that facade...

Owned by a landscape gardener, this 1880s bluestone cottage is now connected to the garden and full of natural light and sea breezes.

This modern addition is more like a supporting actor, allowing the charm and beauty of the original home to shine through.

Three distinct options and three years later they settled on a design, but when you're building forever, take the time to get it right!

Elm and Willow House's walls seem to vanish. The living area is neither indoor, nor outdoor space -- the entire yard becomes a part of the house.

Parure House in Melbourne's inner suburb Kensington is a matching set of separate architectural ideas. It displays a richness of detail and experience.

A modern, but sensitively sized addition transforms existing interwar home and saturates it in natural light - in-spite of a tiny site.

Watch the clouds float by in this home which has an unexpected sense of space and light in spite of its narrow, overshadowed site.

'Kensington Palace' challenges the idea that a home needs to be expensive and expansive to be your dream home.

As the name suggests, Convertible Courtyard House is a home that's as adaptable as a convertible car - rain, hail or shine, this house has you covered.

A stronger connection to the exterior courtyards with concealed sliding doors, for access to light, fresh air and aspect.

This compact inner-city townhouse has been transformed from an unremarkable '70s era building into a timeless, light-filled home.

Never underestimate the power of a well-designed outdoor living area to transform your home. This clever verandah is a great example.

Making the most of the site's assets, this new addition overlooks the lush park behind the home to stunning effect.

Focussing on natural light and outlooks to greenery has creates a private sanctuary despite being in the middle of the action

Tucked away in a subdivided backyard in Melbourne's Inner North, Nest Architects created a delightfully compact two-bedroom home with a beautiful sunny garden.

From very early on it was clear that a simple box would dramatically improve the amenity of this home. And what a beautiful box it is!

A new addition prioritises light and a connection to the garden, transforming this 1940s house into an uplifting and modern home.

You might be surprised how little extra space you need if you take the time to get the floor plan right...

A palette of masonry, timber & stone is pushed to their physical limits. Fairbairn House is a material delight…

At their Toorak Texture project, NORTHBOURNE Architecture + Design quickly realised there was no need to waste time and money extending.

Two homes. Both owned by the same family. A new extension designed to flank the rear of both homes to provide extra space.

Everyone needs a bit of sunshine in their lives. That's why Bow House goes out of its way to let the sunshine in.

East West House, near the top of Richmond Hill, contains the unexpected. A large roof deck is hidden behind the heritage protected Victorian roofline.

As you round the corner of this quiet street, a cheery extension greets you. Quite literally… It says 'Hello'.

After stripping back years of unthoughtful additions, Richmond House receives a bright and modern interpretation of a lean-to.

We don't often feature multi-residential projects. But when we do, they're beautifully innovative projects like this one.

You can tell something's different about this heritage home from the moment you see the lime green door and pastel green walls...

Thanks to recycled brick, this new studio looks like it could be the oldest building in this Richmond laneway.

A tired 1970s apartment undergoes a massive transformation without relocating structure or services.

The clever addition has been sliced and diced to deal with all the constraints of the site, but it guarantees light, space and views.

Richmond Hill House blends heritage charm with modern design, creating a timeless, sustainable home that adapts to family needs.

A sustainable, flexible and contemporary living space grows out of an existing home. It's reverent and cheeky, radical and conservative.

An inner city Victorian cottage of heritage significance is renovated with contemporary design and sustainable building practices.

This passive solar home was designed to maximise available light and space on an oddly shaped block in the inner suburban Melbourne.

When you need to fit a lot onto a small block, forget market expectations and look for light and functionality to suit your family.

By designing a new, open-plan addition to this heritage home, the owner has a light-filled space to inspire his creativity.

When you think of an off-grid house you typically imagine a remote cabin in the bush, but these eco-townhouses tell a different story.

Curved walls, clever design, and connection to the park—Fringe Dweller strikes the perfect balance between privacy and openness.

To make the most of a tiny site -- 10 x 15 meters -- amongst low lying neighbors this double story home was partially submerged.

A contemporary extension of this Elsternwick House is clad in contrasting dark zinc to draw a very deliberate line between new and old.

In a suburb of houses three times its size this home makes the most of its narrow block and compact size by capturing views of the sky.

The owners of a mid-century home loved the qualities of their home but needed a modern addition to bring it into this century.

A stunning renovation that preserves heritage while embracing contemporary living.

This small house is sustainable, low-maintenance, affordable and it's pre-fab so it arrives (practically) ready to move into.

Hover House by Bower Architecture is built on a disused backyard tennis court in Mt Martha -- a great example of infill housing.

This timber-clad four bedroom beach-side family home is perched on a steep dune in a quiet pocket of the Mornington Peninsula region.

This retired couple wanted an intimate home for themselves, but what happens when extended family visit? Enter the 'connected plan'...

Hidden and embedded into the landscape, Cabin 2 is a self contained extension to an existing 1960s log cabin in bay side Blairgowrie.

This weekend beach holiday house is a flexible and comfortable home that can expand to host family and friends when required.

Timber's warmth and laid-back nature meets clean lines and expanses of glass to create a style that is sophisticated yet relaxed.

The design of Orange Grove House is so good the clients couldn't stand to sell as they'd planned and decided to move in instead!

Cut Paw Paw Inside Out House is deliberately incomplete. The owners, asked that the house be 'ridiculously inside-out'…

From the street this modern take on the other single storey cottage in the neighbourhood. But things get interesting quickly...

This renovation for a woman with a busy work life needed to be relaxing and low-maintenance - the perfect retreat after a long day.

Every square metre counts when you don't have much space. You need to be smart and make every element do more than one thing...

Half greenhouse, half barn; despite being in a dense inner suburb, this home means it feels like it could be in the country!

Old homes are full of character. By carefully marrying old and new in a renovation, you can retain some of that warmth and personality.

Middle Park Studio isn't a house. But if it were, it would be a great example of how we can develop backyards with laneway access into smart, sustainable homes.

After a number of minor additions over the years, Patterson Street Residence is reinvigorated with a modern extension to the rear.

Renovating an inner bayside family home to be flexible as the family grows and subtly remind the owners of time spent on beach holidays.

Behind these unassuming terraces' heritage facades is an unexpectedly modern home blurring the boundaries between two once separate houses.

With housing (un)affordability growing and our city limits bursting, this project shows us there's still space in the inner city.

Just because your home is on a tight, inner-city site doesn't mean it can't feel spacious. You just need to use the right tricks!

Discover how a small, unused garage became a stylish, functional studio in Middle Park!

A series of insertions into this period home injects light deep into the plan, making it modern and bright in-spite of its age.

A balance of privacy and the celebration of communal spaces allows two generations to comfortably live together in this renovated home.

Measuring in at just 11 square metres of additional space, this tiny addition punches above its weight for its size.

Inspired by the spaces and ornamentation of the original home, this home plays with light and space to create a dramatic addition.

If your backyard doesn't face north, create a long side yard instead so you can enjoy the benefits of natural light and passive design.

The green screen: Privacy, sun protection, and morning coffee seating—all in one.

Local House is playful and intriguing — designed more like a favourite local café than a private house — creating spaces for connection and bonding.

A grassy green courtyard fit for a cow (ok, not a real cow) at the centre of this renovated St Kilda House adds a bright new focus.

Originally a simple apartment renovation project turned into something more after discovering air rights would allow them to extend...

Making the complex seem effortless in this addition on a tapering block was not easy, but the results are phenomenal.

It's not what you expect when you think of a modular home, but this tricky house continues the surprises continue inside...

It looks like a glowing orb, but check out what secrets this futuristic brass pod is hiding!

Tower House's owners and their 8 year old twin sons asked for a home 'for community, art and nature to come together'. They got a village.

From the street, this looks like a house with no windows, but once inside you realise it's the exact opposite...

What looks like a contemporary shipping container pops out of this renovated Sandringham House.

The rear of this home is redesigned to give an air of spaciousness, with an internal reconfiguration and the addition of two gables.

With dated bricks and dutch-gabled eaves, this home was definitely a child of the '90s, but now it's been given a contemporary twist.

Renovating and extending a typical Victorian terrace always poses a unique set of challenges. Hawthorn House exceeds those challenges.

Parents' retreat, teen hideaway, granny flat or rental earner — the function of this self contained extension can change over time.

Even with close neighbours, carefully positioned skylights and double-height spaces make this home feel private, bright and spacious.

A series of separate, disconnected rooms are transformed by a central, open planned living space that maximises north light.

A rear extension takes advantage of a North-facing backyard to connect to the garden and generate electricity for the whole house.

From the heritage facade you'd never expect to find this light-filled, colourful and playful home which spills into the backyard.

This light-filled extension has an industrial feel to it thanks to using the mix of nearby garages and light industry as inspiration.

A studio connected to the main house by a decked walkway creates maximum flexibility (and reduces renovation stress) for this family.

The '80s was responsible for numerous crimes against taste (but some pretty fabs music). What can you do to right some of those wrongs?

Instead of demolishing this unit, the architects reimagined it, transforming it into a modern and light-filled 3-bedroom home.

Would you be game to renovate and reduce the size of your home? This design proves it's not always more space you need, after all.

An addition to this period home sits comfortably alongside the original, oriented to catch the light and open up the backyard.

Moving from their large family home where the kids grew up, this family opted for a modern home closer to the things they love.

A new two-storey addition reorients this home to garden and the sun, creating a light-filled living space for everyone to enjoy...

This beautiful double-fronted home in a heritage precinct of Hawthorn East is renovated and extended for 21st century living...

Merton House reinterprets the bay windows, scale and arrangement of internal spaces to create a contemporary kitchen and living spaces.

Take a tiny, acutely triangular site, add a demanding heritage context and you've given your architect a challenge. But look what she did!

'This house was purchased by Kasimiersz and Lucia in 1955', reads a plaque on the wall. One of the ways this home remembers its past...

Sometimes the constraints that can make a project more difficult end up creating something unique and wonderful.

If you're noticing a bit of an underwater theme in this home, it's no accident. This is a home for a keen scuba diver!

With an incredible site just one street from the beach and close to the city, these architects built their ideal family home.

With modular, off-site construction you can remove the headaches of extending your home and still end up with a beautiful result.

In a quiet corner of Melbourne's Inner-North, Modscape's modular, pre-fabricated and sustainable Tower House stands out from the crowd.

This extension provides new living areas, a specialised sound recording space and performance area for a family of musicians.

To unite all living spaces without creating one large space, a unique nest-like studio sits above the living area in this reno.

Three sculptural walls create nooks and niches within a larger open-plan space, creating the opportunity to mingle or seek solitude.

A tight inner-city site is transformed with double height spaces and floor-to-ceiling, seamlessly connecting the indoors and outdoors.

On an extremely small parcel of land Beach Avenue House is designed more like a finely crafted joinery unit than a typical home.

For an artist who collects all things astonishing and strange, a renovation helps to show off her unique style and flair.

Like a roof on its side, Ashburton House's sawtooth facade is self-shading, blocking summer sun from striking and heating the surface.

A side-by-side subdivision that blends luxury and eco-conscious design in a way that proves you can have the best of both worlds…

The prefabricated Collingwood House fits easily into its tight urban site, without feeling squeezed for space.

An architect wrestles with the romance of renovating a historic home and the challenge of meeting planning and regulatory requirements.

Considering an eco-friendly upgrade to your home? Look no further for inspiration than Collingwood Compact.

Shop tops in Victorian-era buildings are often dark and often empty these days, talk about a wasted opportunity!

Casual House's low maintenance, no frills materials create an affordable yet compelling extension to the rear of a family home.

Normally we fill our homes with objects that remind us of our past. At Bower House, the house itself is made up of elements to remind the owners of their past.

Application of passive design principles creates a living, breathing, sustainable space that is a pleasure to inhabit.

An architect, a builder, and a joiner walk into a dark and dingy terrace...

By dividing a complicated inner-city block into a patchwork, a new home sits comfortably between heritage buildings and gritty laneway.

This flexible new home built behind the existing is accessible by rear laneway; it could be used as a garage, studio or living space.

The clients of Brighton East Interior wanted to ensure their home met the hectic requirements of the family while preferring to not build up.

After removing walls and opening up both the internal space and to the outdoors, this home is virtually unrecognisable.

Kids Pod is just for the little ones, connected to the house proper by a glazed bridge. And it couldn't be more fun…

With COVID-19, remote working and a beautiful new home in the country, the time seemed perfect for this family's tree change.

A 1960s Architect-designed home undergoes 21st Century transformation into a gracious new house fit for modern living.

At House Rosebank, new rear living spaces help the home take advantage of a sunny garden and create a connection with the existing pool.

Period ornamentation out the front, contemporary simplicity out the back. This home makes a beautiful transition from old to new.

Each room of this addition steps down with the contours of the site, while the plan zigzags to access light and connect to the garden.

New pitched roofs continue the style of the original home, but are reinterpreted based on the function of the rooms and need for light.

Buying an extra slice of land from the owners' corporation enabled this 1960s one-bedroom unit to become a modern three-bedroom home.

If you love the curved lines and detailing of the Art Deco period, but crave open spaces and natural light, this home is for you...

A mid-century-inspired home designed to navigate a long, skinny block is this creative duo's forever home...

Home to a professional couple and Biggles the cat, this modern design aims to enhance the owners daily living experience. And succeeds.

A new house, in an old area, on a tight site, with space for a family of four that won't upset the neighbours? Are they dreaming?

With a block of just 117 square metres, this inner-city reno required some creative thinking to make the most of all available space...

It’s 70s architecture with a modern twist. Take a peek inside this thoughtfully redesigned South Yarra townhouse.

The reordering and extension of this Art Deco home frames a view of an existing and prolific cumquat tree at the rear of the property.

Transforming a dark Californian Bungalow into a sun and fun-loving family home with some clever renovation ideas.

We're familiar with rear additions but at Inbetween House a clever front addition reorients and reconnects the house and garden.

A home rich with character is updated to improve comfort, privacy and connection to the landscape without losing its vintage feel.

For cost efficiency this project creates two identical houses, but thanks to a clever folded facade each home fits the site.

A beautiful attention to details and respect for the original home creates a modern space that effortlessly blends old and new.

This new addition is unquestionably modern, but it has an enduring, timeless quality which makes old and new perfect companions.

Transforming a 1960s apricot-brick unit into the perfect bachelor pad meant rethinking the space and adapting what was already there...

An unorthodox, but clever, renovation creates a series of light-filled flexible living spaces and creates the illusion of space.

An extension designed to appear more like a random collection sheds belies the clever, considered spaces within.

A surprising, angular addition pops out of the rear of this home, but it does more than just look dramatic...

The carefully crafted folds of the ancient art of origami create something new and unexpected. It's a similar story with this reno...

It's hard to believe 1994 was nearly 30 years ago, but this home was sure showing its age. No more thanks to a fun and bright revamp.

Datum House uses the scale and proportions of its neighbours as the starting point for a modern and light-filled home.

It's not the size of an addition that counts, it's the functionality it adds to your home. This micro addition achieves hefty results.

A terrace house typically makes you think, long, narrow and dark. This terrace might be long and narrow, but it's also light and lush!

Sunlit spaces and seamless design—this extension brings new life to this historic Victorian home.

A dark tunnel transforms into a bright, open space at this Cremorne terrace which celebrates the transition from old to new.

This family home was designed with best-practice sustainability and Passive House standards to be a comfortable home for years to come.

A double-height space. An internal courtyard. A huge skylight. All tricks to create a sense of space hidden behind a narrow terrace.

Floating above the original milkbar is a recently renovated pavilion which makes this unique family home feel like it's a treehouse.

It's not often you get to build a new house in the inner city. What would you do if you had a clean slate?

When you've got active young kids, your home must be robust enough to withstand a lot of punishment. This kitchen is built to last.

When you've got a tight block, you need to use every square centimetre. That's how you make a compact home feel spacious.

From the street, all you can see is a sliver of the stunning new addition, designed to protect the heritage value of the original home.

Light and dark, east and west, new and old, Dark Light House's new living pavilion contrasts without simply doing the opposite.

A new-found connection to the yard and pool, wine storage that's decorative yet practical and integrated seating throughout...

With a passion for sustainability, these owners salvaged whatever they could to reduce the carbon footprint of their renovation.

On a long, narrow site, a courtyard is cleverly cut into this addition to allow the sun to stream into new living spaces.

How do you get sun, light and a sense of space when your block is only 6 metres wide? This home has some solutions for narrow blocks.

Scandinavian design is clean and minimal, but the use of natural timbers and stone avoid it becoming sterile. This home nails the look.

This addition to a post-war brick home has a trick up its sleeve to guarantee access to sunlight despite the backyard facing south.

Creating a light-filled addition where the garden and outdoor spaces feel like an extension of the living areas for year-round use.

Transformation of a century-old cottage into a share house for mother and adult daughter with space for bonding and personal retreats.

Living at home while your extension is built sounds like a nightmare, but this clever idea allowed the owners to live disruption-free.

Embracing the garden with a huge double-height space, 7 metre-wide door and patterned screen which fills the home with dappled shade.

A decked courtyard connects this existing home and extension, providing light, breezes and an indoor-outdoor connection to old and new.

If your idea of a bach pad is leftover pizza, a brown suede couch, and a bathroom with one threadbare towel, you're in for a surprise!

Instead of sacrificing their productive garden, plants are encouraged to grow up the walls of this clever backyard studio.

The careful siting of this new home helps it take full advantage of the sun and embrace a beautiful, bushy site.

As soon as you enter the front door of this 1950s home, you are drawn to the light and openness of the new, rear addition.

Like an annexe attached to the side of this solid home, BENT Annexe is an open-plan living area that feels more like a garden room.

To grab light without taking over the backyard, this addition pops its head over the original home, saying peekaboo to the street!

Revealing the layers beneath this dilapidated home helps to blend old and new, weaving a rich story from the home's existing fabric.

A double garage has the perfect amount of space for a new multi-functional studio the owners will get far more use out of.

For a client who lives alone, this renovation was about creating the perfect home for their lifestyle, not more space.

Discover how a first-time homebuyer revamped their space for family life with smart design, warm materials, and functional updates.

The dramatic timber ceiling sails over new living spaces and outside, shading the home but retaining the best views.

Making a compact space work means making it work hard. But how, exactly, do you achieve that? This remodel shows you how...

While older homes have character baked in, they're not built for modern living. But, you can have the best of both worlds; old and new!

For tree-changers Matt and Leanne, an important part of their ideal home was making the most of their spectacular site.

Downsizing from a large family home to an inner-city pad, this couple were prepared to compromise on space, but not on function!

Oftentimes when you feel like you need 'more house', the answer is actually to rethink the way your existing house functions...

With only minor changes over its 50-year life, this mid-century home retained its original charm but desperately needed a little TLC.

'It's the way things have always been done' doesn't mean it's the best solution! Questioning the norm can unlock hidden gold...

This home, inspired by a jewellery box, is perfect for your most treasured people and possessions: beautiful, safe and ordered.

Much of the charm of this original Edwardian cottage had been removed, painted over and, in some cases, plastered over.

The owners would have ripped this out-of-place fireplace out if they'd had their way, but it's become the centrepiece of this reno...

Getting light into living areas with a south-facing backyard is tricky. Here it's handled elegantly for an efficient and bright home.

Built to Passive House standards, this home has exceptional energy-efficiency performance for comfortable living year-round.

A pigeon pair of townhouses allow two brothers and their young families to live side-by-side; the perfect place to raise their kids.

Solving two families' problems in one move: create a link between the two homes to create the perfect multi-generational home...

A focus on the small changes with the biggest impact was key to keeping the renovation of this 1980s project home budget-friendly.

What does the dream home of a multi-creative look like? Beautiful details, a relaxed beach house vibe and a healthy splash of colour.

Discover how a dated 1950s brick house was masterfully renovated into a stunning, light-filled contemporary home in Melbourne.

This Art Deco home renovation references the original to create a home that is full of character and perfect for modern living.

See how this certified Passive House achieves unmatched comfort and energy savings in Melbourne's Inner West.

Despite engineering headaches, a stunning corner window brings light, space, and a seamless connection to the garden at this home.